Baltic Cruise Aug 18th 2018 Eclipse

Thinking about possibly booking this cruise and looking for some input from our experienced members.

Is the Eclipse a decent ship, older, tired? How does it compare to Silhouette?

Aqua vs just a regular balcony cabin. Aqua cabins are deck 11 and pricing is pretty much the same. Are we better to book aqua?

Cruise itinerary is appealing but only 1 night 2 days in St Petersburg . Is this enough time to do the major sites

Any other Baltic cruises anyone would like to recommend?

Our 2 days and 1 night in St. Petersburg was enough to visit the major attractions/sites, but not including Moscow.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thinking about possibly booking this cruise and looking for some input from our experienced members.

 

Is the Eclipse a decent ship, older, tired? How does it compare to Silhouette?

 

Aqua vs just a regular balcony cabin. Aqua cabins are deck 11 and pricing is pretty much the same. Are we better to book aqua?

 

Cruise itinerary is appealing but only 1 night 2 days in St Petersburg . Is this enough time to do the major sites

 

Any other Baltic cruises anyone would like to recommend?

I did the Baltic Cruise this August on the Eclipse. In fact it was my 4th time on the Eclipse and I'm beginning to think of her as MINE!! She is still in really nice shape and beautifully decorated, IMHO. I've never had an Aqua cabin, I usually book a concierge on the bump and I was on deck 11. The only "negative" I do point out to first timers on Eclipse (and other ships in the same class) is for people with walking difficulties (I'm one of them) and that is this: the geniuses that designed the Solstice class put in only 2 elevator banks...one midship and one forward by the theater so it's a long walk from an aft cabin to the nearest elevator. On the M class (Infinity) we like to book the aft cabins because they have bigger balconies and the view is just spectacular...but they have 3 elevator banks...one forward, aft and midship. Otherwise, Eclipse is wonderful.

As for the cruise it was fantastic. I will make one recommendation: add the B2B with Norway. I've been all over the world and, again IMHO, Norway is the most beautiful country I've visited. As for St. Petersburg, been there twice and still haven't seen it all. It's a beautiful city with an enormous amount of history, but if you're only going once I'm going to suggest you book the 2 day St. Petersburg tour....you'll see all the really important sites, including Peterhof, which is stunnng and explains a lot about why the people revolted against the tsars! To do it on your own would be impossible and you'd need a VISA which isn't cheap by any means. If you don't want to book a shore excursion with X there are plenty of reputable tour companies in St. Pete and they will cover you with a VISA but you will not be allowed anywhere unaccompanied and when the tour is over they must return you to the ship. We booked through X and were very satisfied. Another tour I'd strongly recommend that's also quite pricey and runs all day but it was well worth it, is Berlin by land and sea. But again, I chose by exursions with an eye towards how much walking and what kind of surfaces are involved. If you have any other questions let me know and I'll give you as much help as possible. Book it! It's once in a lifetime wonderful!!!

PS: I've been on Silhouette too....if you liked Silhouette you'll like Eclipse.

Thanks Hydrokitty very helpful

I'm a M class cruiser so can't help on the ship but I have been to St. Petersburg twice, once by land and once by sea. I cannot recommend any itinerary that only has one night there. During my ten days there I am still missing a few sites and you just cannot see much in two days. I know others will not agree but if you are interested in art and architecture two days aren't enough.

Some of the major sites are in the center of the city on or near the Neva River. Some of the most spectacular palaces and churches and parks are a moderate drive away.

If you do decide to take the cruise engage one of the tour operators found on the Ports of Call forum. They have more favorable access to each site. Your Roll Call will put you together with other like minded cruisers. I'm sure you are already aware of this but with only two days I'd recommend you skip the Hermitage. You will get rushed through and come out bleary eyed without having the opportunity to really savor the master works. It's always crowded too. My first visit at the Hermitage was 1 1/2 days with a highly placed curator in March and we still didn't see everything.

Baltic itineraries are wonderful and I hope you can find either this sailing or another that meets your expectations andI also recommend a Norwegian add on if you can.

We have cruised Eclipse twice this year....no signs of aging. Cruised with both Captain Michael and Captain Leo who lead teams really focused on guest enjoyment and it showed. We loved her and hope to cruise on her again.

We did not do the Baltic cruise but we did Norway and agree with Hydrokitty it is stunning! Re cities like St. Petersburg, see it as a taster....My friend has just returned from a 7 night stay there and said they 'barely scratched the surface....'. It may be worth your while looking at a couple of land based options including St. Petersburg. Then you could compare the cost and pleasures from experiencing a cruise with a taste of many venues or a land based tour/stay with an in depth stop in a city you obviously really fancy exploring.

Happy cruising!

We very much enjoyed our Baltic cruise on Serenade of the Seas earlier this year. We picked Royal Caribbean because it had the most interesting itinerary plus three days in St Petersburg. We left from Copenhagen, and visited Fredericia, Rostock, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallin, St Petersburg, where we toured for three days with Best Guides, and Helsinki, finishing in Stockholm. It was a wonderful cruise on a lovely ship.

To do it on your own would be impossible and you'd need a VISA which isn't cheap by any means. If you don't want to book a shore excursion with X there are plenty of reputable tour companies in St. Pete and they will cover you with a VISA but you will not be allowed anywhere unaccompanied and when the tour is over they must return you to the ship.

My granddaughter has just returned from a 6 day College visit to St Petersburg and Moscow.

She said that the Visa cost £190 and there were just a few days remaining when they left Moscow.

Even then, the guides saw them on to the train in St Petersburg ( overnight to Moscow) and into the airport in Moscow.

We took tours with SPB in 2015, but next summer I am looking at ship's tours, as I don't want to repeat any visits. We would have to take private tours if we wanted to build your own tour and that would cost $500 p.p.

The Eclipse is a great ship, but so is the Silhouette. Main difference in my mind is the Eclipse has the Corning Hot Glass show and on the Silhouette that is replaced with a specialty restaurant, Lawn Club Grill (which may cruisers rave about, personally I wasn't impressed). Can't go wrong which either ship.

We cruised the Baltic on the Silhouette and really enjoyed this trip. Interesting and different ports. We used SPB tours for many of the ports including St Petersburg and they were great!! Would highly recommend them. We did 2 days in SPB and it was a very full and exhausting 2 days. I do feel we saw the major sights but like most large historic cities we could have spent many more days to really see everything.

One thing you should be aware of is the unpredictability of the weather. It was all over the place. We went in July and experienced anything from hot in the 90's to cool and rainy in the 50's.

Overall, I would highly recommend a Baltic cruise at least once, great experience but not a cruise I have a strong desire to repeat in the near future.

 

Is the Eclipse a decent ship, older, tired? How does it compare to Silhouette?

 

Aqua vs just a regular balcony cabin. Aqua cabins are deck 11 and pricing is pretty much the same. Are we better to book aqua?

 

Cruise itinerary is appealing but only 1 night 2 days in St Petersburg . Is this enough time to do the major sites

 

Any other Baltic cruises anyone would like to recommend?

Eclipse - Great ship in good shape. Very similar to Silhouette which is slightly newer and slightly larger but realistically the only difference you'll notice is that the Lawn Club Grill on Silhouette is replaced with the hot glass show as others have said.

Aqua Class - Absolute no brainer if it's a similar price. You'll have access to the restaurant Blu and the Persian Garden. In the unlikely event that you'd prefer to dine in the MDR you can so you have more choice in Aqua.

St Petersburg - You could easily spend over a week there, so no, 2 days is nowhere near enough time to see it all. It is however a beautiful and very interesting historical city so well worth doing this itinerary.

Book a private tour as the ship tours are both poor value and don't have itineraries that are as comprehensive as the private operators which incidentally will organise your required visas. I would highly recommend Alla Tours, we found them very helpful and professional.

If your itinerary includes Stockholm, get your backside out of bed and up to the top deck before day break. The journey along the archipeligo into Stockholm is not to be missed. It's also nice leaving there but the arrival beats it IMHO. :)

Eclipse - Great ship in good shape. Very similar to Silhouette which is slightly newer and slightly larger but realistically the only difference you'll notice is that the Lawn Club Grill on Silhouette is replaced with the hot glass show as others have said.

 

Aqua Class - Absolute no brainer if it's a similar price. You'll have access to the restaurant Blu and the Persian Garden. In the unlikely event that you'd prefer to dine in the MDR you can so you have more choice in Aqua.

 

St Petersburg - You could easily spend over a week there, so no, 2 days is nowhere near enough time to see it all. It is however a beautiful and very interesting historical city so well worth doing this itinerary.

 

Book a private tour as the ship tours are both poor value and don't have itineraries that are as comprehensive as the private operators which incidentally will organise your required visas. I would highly recommend Alla Tours, we found them very helpful and professional.

 

If your itinerary includes Stockholm, get your backside out of bed and up to the top deck before day break. The journey along the archipeligo into Stockholm is not to be missed. It's also nice leaving there but the arrival beats it IMHO. :)

Hi Minki: I can't think of any specialty dining that would be better than the Hot Glass show! I didn't know that it was only on Eclipse...now I'm glad I keep going on her! I've seen it 3 times now and I never get tired of it.

I have never stayed in Aqua Class but your remark implies that the MDR is less than satisfactory and I have to disagree. We choose the MDR on every cruise for several reasons: 1. why would I pay for a dinner in the MDR, not eat it, but pay again for a meal in a "specialty" restaurant; 2. DH absolutely refuses to eat at the buffet and while I'm not quite as stubborn about it as he is, I can't really say I enjoy it and 3. DH needs to eat at the same time every night due to health reasons and MDR is our best option. We find the food and service to be excellent.

I do agree with previous poster that if you need to "drop" anything from St Petersburg make it the Hermitage....it's a wonderful museum but I've been there twice and no matter what time or what day you go it is always mobbed......wall to wall people mobbed. Alla has a very good reputation for reliability and good quality for your money, but I wouldn' twrite off X excursions either. The last time we were in STP, we only had time for a photo op at St Isaacs and The Church of Spilled Blood so this time we booked an excursion with X to tour both churches as well as St Michael's (the sailor's church) and it was excellent. I think all of the companies that do tours provide the Visa but the important thing to keep in mind is you cannot leave the tour and stay in the city for dinner, as you can on so many other cruises, unless you have your own Visa.

And you are so right about the Archipelago.....wasn't it marvelous? IMHO it was the best part of Stockholm since I found the rest of the city to be kind of cold and boring after Copenhagen, which I LOVED!!! :)

We loved this cruise and the ship. Had an aft view balcony which was terrific while heading into Stockholm

Hi Minki: I can't think of any specialty dining that would be better than the Hot Glass show! I didn't know that it was only on Eclipse...now I'm glad I keep going on her! I've seen it 3 times now and I never get tired of it.

 

The hot glass show is on Solstice, Equinox, and Eclipse. We love it too.

Hi Minki: I can't think of any specialty dining that would be better than the Hot Glass show! I didn't know that it was only on Eclipse...now I'm glad I keep going on her! I've seen it 3 times now and I never get tired of it.

Hi, it isn't. The two newest S class ships, Silhouette and Reflection don't have the Hot Glass Show, the older three Solstice, Equinox and Eclipse do.

I have never stayed in Aqua Class but your remark implies that the MDR is less than satisfactory and I have to disagree. We choose the MDR on every cruise for several reasons: 1. why would I pay for a dinner in the MDR, not eat it, but pay again for a meal in a "specialty" restaurant; 2. DH absolutely refuses to eat at the buffet and while I'm not quite as stubborn about it as he is, I can't really say I enjoy it and 3. DH needs to eat at the same time every night due to health reasons and MDR is our best option. We find the food and service to be excellent.

My intention was absolutely not to start another Blu vs MDR discussion. The forum is awash with these already. Remember my post was in direct reply to the OP who specifically asked about booking an aqua class stateroom which is at the same price as a regular veranda.

If it is the same or a very similar cost which happens occasionally, then I believe booking aqua class makes a lot more sense. Firstly they will be entitled to additional amenities, will receive more cc points, gain free access to the Persian Gardens and of course have access to not one but two dining rooms. If they decide they dislike Blu or would prefer the menu in the MDR one night then they can also use it.

As for your other comments, we're way off topic here but as you asked I would suggest there are two different schools of thought. Some people believe their meals are all paid for and so dislike paying anything else. Others want an enhanced experience and are happy to pay for it. Incidentally Blu and Luminae for that matter are not 'specialty' restaurants. They are the designated dining rooms for specific sets of passengers.

I dislike the buffet. I'd avoid it like the plague on embarkation day and at any other time which isn't a quiet period whilst the ship is in port! But what you need to understand here is that everyone is different. I can only offer thoughts and opinions based on my own personal experience. And whilst you dislike the buffet, I dislike the MDR as in my experience the service is poor compared to every other restaurant on board. The food leaves a lot to be desired and so my comments to the OP are simply advising him that they can dine there, but in all likelihood I'd expect them to prefer Blu as the vast majority of reports on here show most do. You can also dine there at any time, so if you do need to eat at a particular time it isn't an issue. I've never seen queue's there of any consequence yet have regularly seen long lines for the MDR.

I do agree with previous poster that if you need to "drop" anything from St Petersburg make it the Hermitage....it's a wonderful museum but I've been there twice and no matter what time or what day you go it is always mobbed......wall to wall people mobbed. Alla has a very good reputation for reliability and good quality for your money, but I wouldn' twrite off X excursions either. The last time we were in STP, we only had time for a photo op at St Isaacs and The Church of Spilled Blood so this time we booked an excursion with X to tour both churches as well as St Michael's (the sailor's church) and it was excellent. I think all of the companies that do tours provide the Visa but the important thing to keep in mind is you cannot leave the tour and stay in the city for dinner, as you can on so many other cruises, unless you have your own Visa.

The Hermitage was certainly busy when we visited but we were not close to being mobbed. Our Alla tour guide expertly guided us through the buildings and around busy areas.

My comments on ship tours are based on the comparisons we did before hand. The Alla tours lasted a lot longer, featured more sightseeing and was significantly cheaper. We were in our small private tour group also which appealed. We did have dinner as we wanted to experience authentic Russian cuisine so made arrangements to have dinner at a suitable restaurant. But yes, we were then escorted back to the ship with Alla.

And you are so right about the Archipelago.....wasn't it marvelous? IMHO it was the best part of Stockholm since I found the rest of the city to be kind of cold and boring after Copenhagen, which I LOVED!!! :)

I found it wonderful. I can't stress the advantage of getting to the top deck as day breaks where you can enjoy elevated, 360 degree panaromic views enough though. On our sailing many missed this wonderful spectacle hence we mentioning it here.

Stockholm is not the most exciting city I've had the fortune to visit. It's pleasant enough, but I'd much prefer to so an itinerary with 3 nights in St Petersburgh rather than 2 there and 2 in Stockholm.

Just my two cents. I've no doubt others will feel differently. :)